Wi-Fi is a telecommunications technology that allows an electronic device to exchange data wirelessly (using radio waves) over a computer network, including high-speed Internet connections. The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as any “wireless local area network (WLAN) products that are based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) 802.11 standards”. However, since most modern WLANs are based on these standards, the term “Wi-Fi” can be used in general as a synonym for “WLAN”. A device, also referred to as a station, that can use Wi-Fi can connect to a network resource such as the Internet via a wireless network access point (AP). Examples of stations include personal computers (laptops and desktops), video-game consoles, smartphones, computer tablets, and digital audio players. Such an AP (also referred to as hotspot) has a range of about 20 meters indoors and a greater range outdoors.
In Wi-Fi, multiple stations may communicate with a single AP at different times, e.g., one station at a time. The AP sends data to each station via a downlink and receives data from the station via an uplink. Enabling multiple stations to communicate with an AP (or multiple APs) at the same time can improve communications in Wi-Fi, such as to boost the throughput of uplink connection. Thus, there is a need for schemes and protocols to enable communications of multiple STAs to one or more APs concurrently.